Like many cities, Los Angeles and surrounding environs are haunted. Hollywood is even more so, for in no other city has the draw of fame, fortune and worldwide admiration been so prevalent. But for every story of success, there are at least 100 stories of failure which culminated in the death of a dream or the death of the dreamer.

It is here that you will find those stories. The Hear...that is, Limo which will take us on the tour is just around the corner.

The aforementioned Hollywood Forever, formerly known as Hollywood Memorial Park (located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd), famous for its Permanent Celebrity Residents, had become a desolate ruin, especially after being extensively damaged by the Northridge Earthquake in 1994. It became a horrific disgrace, displaying crumbling walls that exposed open crypts, broken glass, rotting wood (Coffins?) and extensive water damage. It became the scene of Vandalism, gang activity and drugs. The chief architect of this scandal was Jules Roth, a con man, a liar, a white collar criminal and a paranoid thief who stole money from endowment funds and had a wet bar in his cemetery office. He also used the Official Yacht for big parties instead of Cemetery business. He cared nothing for the cemetery or its legendary clients. He forced the cemetery into bankruptcy and some people who were buried there, were exhumed by their surviving relatives and taken to another cemetery. Max Factor was one such person. The State of California brought the Owners up on charges and threatened the Cemetery with closure. However, in 1998 a man named Tyler Cassity bought the property for under $400,000.00 and not only made repairs to the place, but also modernized it, bringing it into the 20th Century with the latest technology and gimmicks such as Living Memory, Interviews, Biographical Movies and Webcasts of Funeral Services!
Hollywood Forever even has its own website now, The Forever Network can be found here.

And, of course, there are ghosts here. One day, a man was searching for a certain celeb grave site in the Abbey Of the Psalms Mausoleum. He asked a quaint looking, old gentleman whom he saw standing in the Foyer where this persons grave was. The man gave directions. When the other turned around to thank the man, he was gone! He gave a description of the man to a Cemetery Employee and was told that it was Mr. Clifton Webb....who had died of a heart attack in 1966!

The other ghost at Hollywood Forever is not one that you will see, but you might hear it. It has been said that if you wander near the grave of a tragic starlet, Virginia Rappe, you will hear a ghostly weeping. She died at the tender age of 25 due to Generalized peritonitis. However, because she had died after a wild party attended by comedic actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, it was thought she had been murdered. Arbuckle was charged with the murder. He was tried for the crime three times and acquitted each time.
However, his career was irrevocably ruined.

Rudolph Valentino, who died in 1926 of a ruptured appendix, a perforated ulcer and peritonitis are interred in Crypt 1205 in the Cathedral Mausoleum. A grand tomb was planned for his final resting place and Valentino's body was placed in a temporary crypt until it could be built. Unfortunately, Rudy owed back taxes which set the building of the tomb back about three years.

The final setback occurred on October 24, 1929. The Stock Market crashed and the worldwide Depression began.
The tomb was never built. Valentino still rests in that temporary crypt to this very day.

It has been reported that his ghost has been seen walking thru the rear wall of the cemetery and onto the lot at Paramount Studios, where he has also been seen. According to eyewitnesses, he looks around, seems confused and then walks back thru the wall and back into the cemetery. Perhaps his confusion stems from the passage of Time and the changes that have taken place in our world since then. He has also been seen at his former home, known as the Falcon's Lair.

The very name speaks of Hollywood Royalty (if there is such a thing). The Barrymore Family of actors has existed for over 4 generations, and as you all know, continues with the celebrated career of the newest addition to that fabled dynasty: Drew Barrymore.
Visitors to the Barrymore mansion during the 1970's frequently reported seeing the ghosts of John, Lionel, and Ethyl. In addition to these famous apparitions, the estate is haunted by the ghost of a man who died in a cable car accident on the property.

Another unusual incident involved an old cuckoo clock that belonged to John Barrymore. When John died, his friend Gene Fowler decided to position the hands of the broken clock at the time of his friend's death as a sort of tribute. When he went to set the clock,
however, Fowler discovered that the hands on the clock were already at 10:20 p.m., which was the exact moment of John Barrymore's death.
But the adventures of the late John Barrymore did not end with his death. While Barrymore's body awaited burial in the funeral home, a few of Barrymore's friends got together in the dead of night and went out to the funeral home.
Once there, they gave the attanding mortician a rather large amount of money to look the other way and to keep his mouth shut while the friends stole Barrymore's body!

They took the body to the house of Errol Flynn, sat him down in his favorite chair in the parlor, put a drink in his hand....and left the house!!
Later that same night, Flynn returned to his house from a night on the town. Still grieving for his friend, Flynn decided to retire to the Parlor to drink to his friend before retireing for the night.

He went into the parlor, turned the lights on and turned around to see John Barrymore, sitting in his favorite chair with a drink in his hand and his eyes open. Scared witless, Flynn fled from the house, aghast!
Barrymore's body was returned to the Mortuary under extremely tight security to make sure that the Papers didn't find out. The perpetrators of the theft of Barrymore's body got their wrists slapped and were scolded by the Judge, but the case was completely forgotten. Money no doubt changed hands again.

Barrynore's body was eventually taken to the family cemetery in Pennsylvania and re interred there.

The Barrymore Estate is located at 6 Beverly Grove in Beverly Hills, California

If by chance you are invited to the palatial mansion located at 810 Linden Drive in Beverley Hills, be advised that the mansion is haunted by the terrified ghost of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. There is an atmosphere of terror in the front room where Bugsy was lounging, just before a hail of bullets slammed into him. He tried valiantly to escape the gunfire, but the bullets cut him down.

As connected as Bugsy was and as handsome as he was, he was sure to have made a lot of enemies. Logically, it would be reasonable to assume that Virginia set him up. If so, why? What would have been her motive? Money? Threats are also good motivators! Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky might have wanted him dead because technically, the Casino they opened in Vegas flopped on opening night and may have looked at that as a sign of ill omen, thus giving them a reasonable excuse to bump him off. Another suspect I would name would be Bugsy's immediate successor, Mickey Cohen. He took over operations upon Bugsy's death and he was known for ruling the Los Angeles underworld with an iron fist. Some say he was even more violent that Bugsy. He and a couple of his "boys" dragged a man down to the basement of a place in Hollywood called Ciro's, which at the time was major GLAM and THE place to be seen. Mickey and his boys came back up, but their victim didn't. It's rumoured that the victim, after being shot in the head a couple of times, got a concrete blanket to keep him snug. The place is now called The Comedy Store. Is it haunted? Yep!

I don't think that Bugsy's death will ever be solved. I think the reason that Bugsy's murder has gone unsolved for so long is because persons unknown went to a lot of trouble to make sure that it wouldn't be solved. I think that this was accomplished with either an exchange of money or an exchange of lead!

$5.00 will get you $10.00 it was a combination of both. I don't even think Bugsy knows, but his ghost, which is said to haunt not only the former mansion of Virginia Hill but also a certain casino or two in Vegas, isn't talking. At the infamous Havana Conferrence, the hit on Bugsy was put to a vote. Half voted that he live. Half voted that he die. Bugsy's life hung on the vote of one man:
Meyer Lansky, his best friend.

Another one of Hollywood's most infamous and still unsolved crimes is the murder or suicide of actress Thelma Todd. She was born on July 29, 1906 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. After graduating from college, she became a teacher who also took a job as a model. She caught the attention of some Hollywood Talent Scouts and moved out to California. It wasn't long before she was recognized as a genuine talent and not just for her good looks. Her friends called her "Hot Toddy". But on the morning of Monday, December 16, 1935, her maid found her facedown in the seat of her Packard Automobile, cold and dead. The engine of the car was still running. She was 29 years old.

One of the chief suspects was the man who drove her home on the last night of Thelma's life. That man was director Ronald West.

That fateful night, she had been at a party thrown by Ida Lupino, a relative newcomer to Hollywood, and it had the makings of a blow-out Hollywood event. The guest list was vast and unfortunately included Thelma’s ex-husband, Pat DiCicco. After a few drinks, Thelma and DiCicco exchanged some heated words, which made Thelma drink even more. By the early morning hours of Sunday, she had downed more than her share of alcohol. Luckily, she a driver to take her home.

As she prepared to leave, Roland West, who was at the apartment over the cafe, received a phone call from theater owner Sid Grauman saying that Thelma was a “bit under the influence” and was on her way home. Grauman suggested that West see her safely into bed. But sometime between the telephone call and Monday morning, Thelma Todd died in the garage of West’s house on Pasetano Road.

According to Forensics, when Thelma Todd was found, her hair was matted, a false tooth had been knocked out of her mouth and there were blood spatters on her skin and dress. Despite the evidence which pointed to Murder, her death was ruled a suicide. She lay in state in a casket filled with yellow roses and was then laid to rest at Bellvue Cenetery in her hometown. But even as her casket was lowered into the ground forever, the scandal surrounding her mysterious death continued.

Who wanted her dead, and why? She had opened an eatery with Ronald West called Thelma Todd's Roadside Rest Cafe which was located on Pacific Coast Highway just under the Palisades. It was a place frequented by stars and fans alike. On the last day of her life, the cafe was also visited by a notorious gangster, "Lucky" Luciano. He had been on the prowl for an establishment that could house a casino, and it looked like Thelma's place could be a perfect front. He made her an offer....and she refused. Was it that refusal which cost Thelma her life? No one will ever know.

Meanwhile, the owners of what was once a Roadside Cafe have experienced strange occurrences in their place of business: Cold spots, missing items, the feeling of being watched....and the sounds of footsteps coming up the long cliffside stairs, footsteps belonging to something....or someone unseen.
Some believe it to be Thelma's ghost. Is she replaying the last tragic hours of her life as does a tragic heroine in a Hollywood Melodrama...or is she hoping that her earthbound spirit will one day point the way to a clue regarding what really happened on the night of her death?

Rudolph Valentino still haunts his former estate, Falcon's Lair, as well as Hollywood Forever Cemetery (in the Cathedral Mausoleum where he is interred in crypt 1205) because he had unfinished business at the time of his death. He was set to star in a movie called "The Hooded Falcon" to play the part of "El Cid". This was his obsession. The project fell apart when his wife and fellow Producer of the movie, Natacha Rambova, suddenly left him. This must have been what lead to his perforated ulcer which finally resulted in his death. He died on August 23, 1926 with his dog Kabar (a Great Dane) by his bedside. The story goes that when Valentino's spirit passed into the Afterlife, the dog began to howl mournfully, as though sensing his masters farewell.

Valentino's body was shipped from New York City back to Hollywood where his emaciated body lay in state for his thousands of fans to view. Ever since his death, a mysterious Lady In Black has made visits to his crypt to leave roses. To this day, no one knows the true identity of the original LIB, though some speculate that it was Valentino's first wife. Others speculate that it is the ghost of a woman who idolized Valentino as a young girl and became ill. Valentino went to see this girl in the hospital one day, bringing her roses. She told Valentino that she would die soon but he gently rebuked her, saying that she would outlive him. Valentino's restless ghost has also been seen walking the studio lot of Paramount Studios which is right behind Hollywood Forever. A Security Guard once reported seeing a man of about 30 years of age walking on the studio grounds after the studio was closed. He told the man that the studio was closed, so the man tipped his hat to the guard and walked thru the wall...back into the cemetery.

In regard to Valentino's dog, Kabar, he too haunts the cemetery where he rests, the Los Angeles Pet Cemetery where Hollywood Celebs have buried their beloved pets. Petey, the cute dog from "The Little Rascals" rests there, as does Mary Pickford's dog and Hopalong Cassidy's Horse. It is Kabar, Valentino's Great Dane, who does the most haunting here, however. Kabar died in 1929, three years after his master. Its playful ghost has been reported being heard panting or even licking those who wander near his grave.

As some of you may recall from your Hollywood history, Rudolph Valentino passed from this life at the age of 31 on August 23, 1926 of peritonitis, following an operation to remove his inflamed appendix. However, there are some who swear that Valentino is not at rest, for he has allegedly been seen at his former residence, the legendary Falcon's Lair, at Hollywood Forever and at the ajoining Paramount Studios. Even as late as April of 1989, he was reportedly seen in the old Valentino Place Apartments in Hollywood.

According to the report, an actress was living in one of the apartments and she was drifting off to sleep one night when she felt a heavy weight press down onto the side of the bed. It sagged as though someone were sitting on the edge of it while she lay there, too frightened to even move. The weight on the bed became the solid figure of a man and it shifted beside her, moving beneath the thin sheet. The form then slid closer to her, and pressed against her so that she could feel that he was excited. As heavy breathing washed over her, she finally dared to open her eyes. She lifted the sheet and there she saw the face of Rudolph Valentino! She was so terrified that she fainted. When she awakened, the figure was gone, but the bed sheets and pillows were left in a complete disarray and strewn about the room. She fled, never to return.

While I was in Los Angeles in October of 2003, beginning my celebrity grave hunting adventures at the famous Hollywood Forever Cemetery, I had a rather strange experience. As I was walking toward the Abbey Of The Psalms Mausoleum, a feeling of dread came over me. I could think of no idea why I should feel so afraid, but as I got closer to it, the feeling grew. It got to the point where I was forcing myself to go forward. I don't know how far away from it I was when I finally stopped, but one thing was for sure, I could not continue and would not approach any further. I also actually felt a sudden need to go to the bathroom (which I found in the Office, thanks to Annette Lloyd). In all the other parts of the cemetery, I felt nothing but peace among the stillness of the graves and tombs, but for some strange reason, the AotP was different. At first, I couldn't figure out why, but then I felt that there was definitely something wrong about the place. I felt the need to try and get closer and as I did, I felt the presence of something there, the presence of something that shouldn't have been there at all. A mausoleum is supposed to be part of sacred ground, but I felt nothing sacred about this place. My theory is that somehow, a Gate or Door exists there, a Gate or Door to a place dark, cold and foreboding. A place of evil. And I think that it is through this Gateway or Door that something enters our world, something that has no business being here.

It was in June of 1932 that director Paul Bern married actress, Jean Harlow. Four months later, on September 5, the marriage ended rather suddenly when Paul Bern, standing naked in front of the bathroom mirror, shot himself in the head with a .38 calibre pistol.
The butler found his nude body.

Flash forward to 1968. A well respcted Hollywood hairstylist lived in the old house and was dating a young starlet who had moved to LA from Texas. One day he asked her to house sit for him while he went out of town on business for a day or two. She agreed. That night, while she slept, she was awakened by a loud noise. She turned on the light and saw a man in the bedroom. He was ransacking the place as if looking for something important. He turned and looked at the young woman and that was when she recognized him. She also saw the bullet hole in his head next to his right temple and it was spirting blood. It was Paul Bern! The young woman fled from the bedroom, but as she got to the top of the stairs, she was met by an even more ghastly sight.

Tied to the newel post at the bottom of the stairs...was her lover. His throat had been cut from ear to ear and was gushing blood!! The noises in the bedroom of Paul Bern's ghost got louder. Overcome by the horrors she had seen she fainted. The next day, her lover returned from his trip and she told him of the horrific apparitions she had seen the night before. He tried to comfort her and dismissed them. Little did they know that what she saw was a terrifying warning of the horrific fate which awaited them both almost one year later.....at the muderous hands of the Manson Family. The man's name was Jay Sebring.The woman was Sharon Tate.

It is at the world famous Mann's Chinese Theater, located just across the street from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel that the ghost of actor Victor Killian, known for his role as the Fernwood Flasher in "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", roams the sidewalk and courtyard... looking for the man who murdered him.

His career in movies and television spanned half a century. According to Police reports, Kilian met a man at a nearby bar in March of 1979. After a few drinks, Killian invited the man back up to his apartment. Killian's bludgeoned corpse was discovered the next morning. Another source says that Mr. Killian came home to his apartment to discover a burglary in progress. He was beaten to death by the burglars. His killer remains at large and the case remains unsolved.

So what about Celebrities who have had encounters with ghosts? Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go's, Nicholas Cage, Sharon Stone, Barbra Streisand, Matthew McConaughey, Elke Sommer, Richard Harris and Donald Pleasance have all had encounters with ghosts.
Barbra Streisand was with a Medium trying to decide whether to direct her film "Yentl".
The table started to shake so violently that she got up and ran into the bathroom.
When she went back to the table and resumed the session, the following words came through:
"M-A-N-N-Y". (Nickname for Barbra's father Emanuel.)
"S-O-R-R-Y". (His apology for leaving her so abruptly in Death)
"S-I-N-G-P-R-O-U-D". (A signal from her father to go ahead and direct the movie.)
Barbra is most proud of "Yentl" and the motion picture is dedicated to her father.

Reeves played the part of "Superman" in the 1950's and committed suicide (or was murdered, depending on who you talk to or what you read) on the night of June 16, 1959, during a party at his home. (Hmph, some party!)

His ghost was reportedly seen by a ten-year-old boy who wandered onto the property and was scolded for doing so by "Superman".
Another time, while a couple who had just bought the mansion and moved in was having an intimate encounter in the master bedroom, the ghost of George Reeves slowly appeared at the foot of their bed...in full Superman costume, grinned at them and then slowly faded away. They were scared witless and proceeded to get the hell out of the house! (Not a bad idea!)

HOLLYWOOD, California (Variety) -- With Paul Walker the latest to drop out of the running to play the title role in the new "Superman" movie for Warner Bros. (Josh Hartnett turned it down earlier), a question comes to mind:
Isn't this supposed to be the role actors would die for?

Not if you talk to talent agents. Frequently suspicious, they are rarely superstitious -- and yet, some raise the "Curse of Superman" as a reason the Brett Ratner directed picture seems to be having trouble finding the Man of Steel. What is the curse? While everyone knows of the misfortune that came to paralyze Christopher Reeve, the nervous breakdown suffered by Margot Kidder, her rollover in an SUV in Canada and multiple sclerosis that struck Richard Pryor and later, his death; many others connected to "Superman" have suffered.

During the filming of "Superman: The Movie", a stuntman, Terry Hill and an electrician, John Bodimeade were both killed.

Kirk Alyn played bit parts and minor supporting roles in several low-budget films before getting his big break playing the title role in the 1948 serial "Superman." But after the serial ended, he failed to sustain a film career and retired to Arizona.

George Reeves, who played the role of Superman in a TV series and several movies in the 1950s, was found dead of a single gunshot wound to the head in 1959. The cause of death was listed as suicide, though controversy swirled around the death: Reeves' prints were never found on the gun, and he'd been having an affair with the wife of MGM exec Eddie Mannix. The first cartoon "Superman" was voiced by Bud Collyer from 1941-43. He went on to have a fine career in TV, creating and hosting the game show "To Tell the Truth." But he returned to the role to voice "The New Adventures of Superman" for CBS in 1966 -- and three years later, he was dead of a circulatory ailment.

Christopher Reeve developed a pressure wound which became severely infected. He had a heart attack on Oct. 10, 2004, slipped into a coma and passed away at the age of 52

Paul Walker, who was to play the role of Superman/Clark Kent, but dropped out of the production was killed when the Porche Carrera GT being driven by his friend Roger Rodas, struck a light pole at approximately 100 miles per hour on November 30, 2013 at approximately 3:30PM. Both Rodas and Walker were killed instantly.

Okay. All I can say is be advised some of the places listed in this column are private residences and others are places of business. Places of business, unless otherwise noted, frown on anything that has to do with the Paranormal.
To wit: I was interviewing a couple of people at the historic Driskill Hotel in Downtown Austin about the three ghosts that haunt the place. When the manager found out, he politely told me that interviewing employees without permission, especially about the "alleged ghosts" was not allowed. I was shown the door and told never to return.
Trespassing can get you thrown in jail. Be that as it may, if you are going to some of these places, take every precaution, especially at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks where a great number of Celebrities have been either buried or interred.